Mending the Heart
by Of Healing Love
Summary: Oral Presentation-verse, BlueOrbShipping. Gift-fic to ME for my birthday! She still loved him, even after he left her for another woman. He never stopped loving her, leaving only to protect her. His lies and her emptiness have the potential to drown them forever and ruin the love they still share. When all seems lost, what does it take to mend the heart? Rated M. Three-shot.
1. Part One

_Hi, everyone!_

_So this is my birthday gift-fic to ME! My birthday is the 19th on Friday. However, there's too much story here to be a one-shot, so we're getting a chapter for every day leading up to my birthday! Most of the story is already written out and I will be updating one chapter a day up until my 22nd birthday! Yay!_

_For all of you who are reading Oral Presentation: This story is based in that universe, but I must make it clear:_ **THIS STORY IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE EVENTS IN ORAL PRESENTATION! **_It's basically a what-if scenario for the story and does NOT actually happen in the story. It is also four years in the future from where Oral Presentation currently is._

_So, for all of you Steven fans, that should be a relief. This story is kind of mean to the poor guy. Trust me, he gets much better treatment in the future chapters of Oral Presentation!_

_First chapter is pretty angsty, but it DEFINITELY gets better. Trust me, stick around, and review!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mending the Heart<span>**

Part One

May was no longer the innocent waif of girl that she had been when she started attending college at Harvard University four years ago. Things had changed; _she_ had changed. She had had the rose-colored glasses ripped off and then shattered under _that_ man's foot without remorse and without regret.

She didn't blame him for her disillusioned state. She had experienced her first real relationship with him, had learned what it was like to love so deeply that her heart was irreparably broken when everything fell apart. She told herself it was the age difference; she told herself that she hadn't been prepared for the gruesome reality of his world. May Andrews told herself many things, but she wasn't sure if she believed any of them.

All she knew was that he had left her for a _real_ woman, someone who had lived in his world for longer than she could ever survive. It only made sense—she was young and fickle, or so he had said, and he needed something steady and lasting—something he wasn't sure she could give him.

It had shattered her and she still hadn't learned how to pick up the pieces of what had once been her heart. Even now, as she was standing on the stage, being applauded by her family and friends, her boyfriend watching on proudly as she received her Bachelor's diploma, May didn't feel the elation or sense of accomplishment that she should have been feeling.

She felt…nothing.

And that nothing was all-encompassing.

May was pretty sure that she would never feel anything ever again.

The cheers and applauding went on for another five minutes before the dean finished giving his speech. They threw up their caps and cameras flashed enthusiastically before everyone filed off the stage, clutching their hard-earned diplomas tightly and rushing off to meet up with their families.

May was approached by her boyfriend, his messy grey-blue hair glinting in the sun. "I'm so proud of you, May," he said, swooping her into a hug and kissing her. She kissed him back, but she couldn't help but despise the smoothness of his chin, the lack of bristles brushing against her mouth as their lips met.

She often wondered why she was with Steven Stone. Sure, she had crushed on him for a long time. She had still been able to acknowledge his attractiveness when she was with _that_ man, which she had always berated herself for after she acknowledged how deeply she loved him. Steven had admitted his feelings for her shortly after _he_ had left her for that woman and since May had stayed attracted to him the entire time it seemed fated that she ended up with the clean-cut man who had a successful career in geology and was the kind of man you would bring home to your parents. _He_ had never met her parents; she knew they wouldn't approve of him. So why, when she had the perfect man in her life, the one that she was clearly meant to be with, did she still feel so empty?

They broke the kiss and then Steven put his hand on her lower back, guiding her towards her parents and Brendan, who had all flown up for her graduation.

"May!" Brendan exclaimed when he saw them approaching. She waved back with a large smile on her face. She had perfected the art of pretend happiness that at this point, she wasn't sure what was the mask and what was who she actually was.

"Sweetheart, we're so proud of you!" her mother exclaimed as May and Steven met up with them. Her mother hugged her tightly, tears wetting her eyes. "Congratulations!"

Norman, her father, looked on with his arms crossed, watching the exchange. When her mother finally released her, he said, "Well done, May. You've exceeded my expectations. Your mother and I are very proud of you." He placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded approvingly.

May nodded back. "Thank Mom, Dad," she said. The cheerfulness of her voice was flawless. No one could tell the difference between the young woman who had left Littleroot, Arizona with stars in her eyes and the baccalaureate standing before them with an empty, broken heart.

Brendan slapped her on the back encouragingly. "I knew you could do it, bestie," he said with a wide grin. May smiled at him and it was almost real. His grin didn't fade, but his gray eyes pierced her like a sword.

He was the only one who knew she was still in love with _him_. He was the only one who knew she didn't love Steven like she should. He was the only person in the world who could see through her lies.

"I fully expect for you and me to catch up before I leave," Brendan told her seriously, but there was enough playfulness in his voice to fool the other three present. Steven was now conversing with her parents about May's accomplishments, but even if they were paying attention to the exchange, they wouldn't have seen anything wrong with it.

May didn't let her smile fall, even though Brendan could see clearly the pain that was hidden beneath the surface. "Of course," she said with an impish wink.

After the initial excitement, her parents urged everyone to go to dinner with them, courtesy of her dad's recent promotion.

Everyone agreed easily and then headed off. "Let's go to the Red House," her mother suggested. "It's supposed to have fantastic seafood!"

May worked very hard to keep the color from fading from her cheeks. Only Brendan noticed the discrepancy, but he was wise enough not to say anything about it.

"I'm not really in the mood for seafood," Brendan said, saving her from having to give any excuses. "What about a steakhouse?"

"Definitely," May agreed. "I really am in the mood for some really nice sirloin."

"Whatever you want, dear," her mother said with a smile. "Steven, are you alright with steak?"

"Of course, Mrs. Andrews," he replied, wrapping his arm around May's waist. She instinctively leaned into him. Yet again, his arms weren't nearly muscular enough to provide her the safe feeling that she had always felt with _him_ and his height didn't dwarf her like _his_ had.

It had been two years and she couldn't let it go. She was going to have to end this—May already didn't know how she had lasted this long in the faux relationship anyways. She believed that Steven had an inkling of suspicion, but he loved her too much to say anything.

Nonetheless, she had received her Bachelor's and a chapter of her life was closing. She had secretly applied for a program in Australia to study the Great Barrier Reef and she had been accepted. She hadn't decided whether she was going yet, but she had two weeks to reply before they would replace her. If she did well enough, there was a school that would accept her in Australia for a Master's degree. It wasn't as prestigious as Harvard, but she was starting to think that Massachusetts wasn't the right place for her anymore.

As they got into the car to drive to the steakhouse just down the road, May took a deep breath. She would talk to him. She had to.

There was no way she could continue this farce any longer. Besides, she would rather be alone than continue to hurt Steven.

It seemed that maybe her fate wasn't Steven, but rather to be alone.

* * *

><p>That night, Steven took her to his apartment for a little celebration of their own for her graduation.<p>

May didn't have the heart to deny him this one last thing.

He kissed her deeply once they were in his bedroom, his tongue running over her lips before she allowed him entry, tangling their tongues together in a gentle but passionate dance. They were both in control, equally giving and taking.

_Feeling the roughness of his beard against her lips was a strange sensation, but she had grown to love it. His tongue dominated hers, occasionally allowing her to take control before stealing it back from her without remorse. She submitted every time, sometimes putting up a fight but other times simply giving herself fully to the sensation of being completely dominated in every sense of the word._

Steven gently guided her over to the bed, his hand softly running over her hips before sliding up her shirt to caress her breasts through her bra. She tangled her hands in his head, moaning softly when he rubbed her peaks through the fabric.

_He never wasted any time. He lifted her up with his large hands and she wrapped her lips around his waist, never breaking the kiss. Firmly gripping her rear, he would walk through the apartment to the bedroom. She ground her hips against his pelvis, coaxing his manhood to life with each gyration. He growled into her mouth, sending sparkles of pleasure down to her abdomen._

She panted softly as Steven worked her blouse over her head and she did the same to him. Her bra was quickly discarded and they fell back onto the plush bed, legs tangled together as he began to suckle her breasts teasingly. Waves of pleasure coursed through her body at the gentle stimulation and she began to squirm, moaning and panting and gripping his shoulders as she arched into his mouth.

_He would rip off her clothing with little care to the state of her shirts afterwards. More than once she had found her sleeves ripped at the seams. He would unhook her bra easily with one hand before devouring her body, his tongue tracing her sides, collarbones, belly button—everywhere but where she craved it. She moaned in frustration and tugged his head towards her breasts. He never complied until she begged, but once she submitted his mouth would surround her hardened peaks with a heat that had her bucking against him wantonly._

She began to unbutton his jeans, her fingers grasping the zipper and yanking it down roughly. Similarly, he pulled her shorts off. May shifted to make sure that her underwear followed, baring herself to him. Leaving his boxers on, he began to slowly stroke her clit, spreading the moisture from her labia down to her opening.

_Buttons had popped off her jeans and zippers had been ripped too far before when struggling to remove clothing in a hurry. As soon as her panties fell to the floor, he was already pinching her lightly and eliciting harsh pants. She was already soaked and he slipped in a single digit to loosen her. He tapped her bundle of nerves expertly, but when she tried to grind against his hand to reach climax, he used his other hand to pin her hips down to the bed and continue to making her groan in pleasured agony. "Not yet," he would say._

Steven slipped his middle finger inside her once she was lubricated with her own moisture and then began to rub against her weakness. She gasped and moaned, bucking her hips against him roughly to reach climax as quickly as possible. He kissed her hard, growing more passionate as they both reached the point of arousal where there was no reason to hold back and draw it out. The pleasure in her abdomen boiled over and she screamed, flexing around his finger. The moment she had reached completion, he pulled off his boxers and aligned himself to her.

_He would tease her until it was unbearable and she was all but sobbing him for to let her climax. He would finally take off his clothes and let her run her hands over his toned, muscular body. He would always kiss her first, teasing her with his tongue and then rubbing the tip of his head over her lower lips and opening, not quite penetrating but giving her a little taste of what was soon to come. When they had first had sex, when she gave him her virginity, she had barely been able to handle his size. However, though, when she was aroused enough, she could take him with only a little initial discomfort. He slipped his hand between her legs and spread her lower lips, slowly inserting the head of his manhood. She gasped in delight, only for him to withdraw. "Tell me what you want."_

"_You," she whimpered._

"_And what do you want me to do?" he growled into her ear._

"_Fuck me!" she moaned loudly, gripping his hips with her legs and trying to get closer to him._

_And then he would fully sheath himself inside her, sighing at the feeling of her tight walls clenching him. She gasped through gritted teeth at the feeling of being completely full._

"Are you ready?" Steven asked softly, brushing her womanhood with his member.

May nodded and moaned, beckoning him closer by spreading her legs as far as they would go. Gently he pushed into her, slowly teasing her with an inch at a time. Taking control, May grabbed his hips and pulled him fully into her and she groaned at the feeling. He began to thrust in and out, taking it slow. "Faster," she gasped, gripping his shoulders tightly.

_He always set the perfect pace. Whether it was to draw out their pleasure with slow and teasing thrusts or if he pounded into her mercilessly to make her orgasm until she cried, it was always just the way she needed it. He skillfully played with her sensitive breasts and rubbed her clit, stimulating her until she could take no more. He was always in control, always dominating, even when she was on top; at the same time, she never felt controlled or stifled. His dominance brought out the animal in her, making her wild and untamable except when she was in his arms. It made her feel freer than she ever had before in her life._

Steven quickened his thrusts and May clenched around him, her second orgasm building rapidly. Lost in the slick sweat, the moans and the panting, she let herself loose, bucking against him until she reached completion. He didn't waver in his thrusts, keeping the pace with her until it was his turn and he pulled out before coming.

May closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't help but think about all her times with _him_, for even now the memories brought her pleasure mixed in with the agonizing pain of what had been lost. Still, her best had always been him. In her broken state, she doubted that she could ever find better.

Even if she did…

"I love you," Steven murmured after he rolled over, pulling her into him. _He_ had been a cuddler, too, but unlike her current boyfriend, his body enveloped her like her favorite blanket, warming her and making her feel safe and loved.

How wrong was she to have believed he actually loved her. May Andrews, the girl who was thirteen years younger than him. How could she ever have believed that a real man like him could ever completely give himself to a _girl_ like her. She had been naïve and foolish, blinded by her adoration.

She wanted to hate him. She wanted to be able to tell the man holding her right now that she loved him, too. She could never bring herself to lie, though—she could never say it. Perhaps that made her pathetic, but then again, wasn't she? She was broken.

Silence filled the air and Steven finally sighed, pulling away. May stiffened, but she knew what was coming. Maybe it was better this way.

"This isn't working, is it?" he asked quietly, sitting up in bed.

"No," May whispered back. "And I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you."

Steven's voice was hard when he responded. "But that's all you've done this entire time."

May flinched at his tone. "I'm sorry."

He heaved a sigh. "I knew it was a bad idea," he admitted. "I always knew that he came first, but I never wanted to see it." Steven laughed bitterly. "I should really hate you, you know. But I can't, not with how much I still love you."

She remained silent.

"What do you see in him?" he asked. He sounded genuinely curious, although the bitterness was still there. "What was it about him that drew you to him? Was it because he was your first?" His tone was getting harsher. "Or was it because-"

May sat up and glared at him, her sudden movement silencing him. "So you think that I still love him only because I slept with him first?" she snapped. She hadn't talked about this with anyone other than Brendan, but he had not been so callous as to insinuate that, to invalidate her feelings because she lost her virginity to _him_. "I didn't mean to drag you into this and I'm sorry it happened that way, but he was always the one I loved. I _still _love him. And I don't know if that's going to change."

Steven turned to her, his face concerned and angry and bitter, all at once. "You need to let him go. You're never going to move on if you keep idolizing him like this! He's certainly gotten on with his life, so why can't you?"

May froze, staring at Steven as if she had never seen him before. Just as the words came out of his mouth, he realized his mistake, as well.

"May, I'm sorry-"

"I think I should leave," she said coldly, rolling off the bed and gathering her clothes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Steven. But I think it's better this way." She quickly slipped on her blouse, forgoing bra and panties in an effort to leave more quickly.

"No, May, wait-"

As soon as her shorts were on, she grabbed her undergarments and stormed out of the room.

"May!" Steven called, getting up to follow her.

However, she had already stuffed her bra and panties into her faithful messenger bag and had left the house, slamming the door behind her.

It was raining outside, a testament to the moodiness of the area's weather. As she stormed towards the subway station without an umbrella, May decided she was thankful for it.

After all, she didn't have to hide her tears when the rain was doing it for her.

* * *

><p><em>Please review!<em>


	2. Part Two

**Mending the Heart**

Part Two

He was done living this farce.

Two years. Two _fucking _years he'd had to stay away from her, just to keep her safe. Never had he thought that getting involved with her would bring this about—he had never had an inkling that that bastard could be so cruel as to ruin something that no longer concerned him. Then again, that redheaded son of a bitch had always been a sore loser and apparently, that was reason enough to destroy the one good thing Archie had had in his life.

He knocked back his fourth shot of vodka and reclined in the chair in Shelly's living room. He had a high tolerance for alcohol, which was a seriously bad trait to have when all he wanted to do was to drink himself into oblivion.

"Her graduation was yesterday," he told the raven-haired woman, who was cooking scrambled eggs in the kitchen. "I fuckin' missed it."

"Her parents would have been there. You're not exactly the kind of guy good girls bring home, hun," Shelly commented as she pierced the eggs with her spatula. "And it's way too early for you to be drinking like that. I'm going to throw out all the alcohol in the house if you don't quit it."

Archie slumped back in his chair, but didn't pour himself another shot. "This is so fuckin' fucked up."

"I still think you could have handled it better," Shelly told him, splitting up the eggs onto two different plates just as the toaster ding and popped out two slices of toast. She divvied them out between the plates and then carried both into the living room. Placing one in front of Archie, she said, "Eat, or I'm going to shove it down your throat."

"Fuck, woman, I'm a grown man. I can goddamn take care of myself." Nevertheless, he picked up the toast and took a bite.

"For all the 'grown man' you are, you certainly require about as much care as a baby," Shelly replied. "You could have just asked her to leave Harvard and go to a different school."

Archie glared at her. "Yeah, and ruin her entire life? Ain't no man out there worth changing schools over and I would never be that selfish."

"How noble of you," Shelly replied dryly, although Archie knew she agreed with his statement. "Still, there were other options. Now she probably hates you and even when she graduates with her Masters she probably won't take you back."

"Who says I'm going to ask for her back," Archie snapped, eyeing the bottle of vodka at his feet.

"You'd be stupid not to, since you haven't moved on yet. I got you a million and two dates and you screwed up every single last one. I can't say I feel sorry for you, because that was your own fault. But you had other options, especially once you left Aqua."

"It doesn't matter now. She's with that kid from the geology department or whatever. Steve or something." Archie snorted. "Pretty boy type. You'd like him."

Shelly hummed noncommittally. "Interesting choice. Perfect rebound, don't you think? Guy that's just the opposite of you, really."

"Fuck, Shell, you don't have to make this any harder than it is."

"I'm just trying to get you to get out of my house and do something with your pathetic life."

Archie rubbed his temples. "It's been two fuckin' years. She's infected me with something, I swear to god. It's like a fucking cancer or something."

Shelly laughed. "It's called love, sweetheart. I thought you knew this already."

Archie rolled his eyes and grunted. "You can quit with the therapy shit already. I'm not drunk enough for this."

"Yeah, well, personally I thought you had gotten over it, since you hadn't talked about it for a while. Obviously, you still need my help because you're still in love. I'll be your therapist all I want and by the way, I'm going to start charging if you don't get your ass in gear."

"Fuck you."

"Have you thought about leaving Cambridge altogether? Maybe some fresh air will get your head on straight. The Bahamas, maybe, or the Caribbean. Go back to your roots on the high seas," Shelly suggested.

"We already talked about this," Archie said.

"And I'm starting to think it's the best idea I've ever had. You have to get away from here."

Archie sighed and looked at the bottle of vodka longingly. He missed her, so much. The age difference didn't matter to him, it never had. However, he knew she had been insecure about it so he used it as the weapon he needed to ruin the relationship irrevocably—so that she could move on, even if he couldn't. He'd never been one to sacrifice himself for someone else, but that had changed when he met May Andrews.

But maybe Shelly was right. Maybe it was time to move on.

"Get your laptop," he said, tearing his eyes away from the vodka. "I'll see what I can find."

"There's a good boy," Shelly cooed.

Archie flipped her off.

* * *

><p>"Steven and I broke up last night," May commented casually as she and Brendan walked down the road towards a Dunkin' Donuts. Her tone gave away nothing of her opinion on it—she didn't bother to pretend to be sad about it around Brendan. Her best friend had been with her the entire time through both relationships and he knew the truth. He would probably be able to see right through her even if he <em>hadn't<em> been kept in the loop the entire time.

Brendan didn't act surprised, nor did he seemed disappointed. In fact, he mirrored her tone perfectly. "Oh, okay. Was it rough?"

May shrugged. "He brought up how _he_ moved on and basically asked why I hadn't. He didn't try to be mean about it, but sometimes the tone of your voice doesn't have to say how you actually feel." She knew this better than most.

"Does he deserve to be punched?" Brendan asked seriously. He smacked a closed fist into his open palm. "Cause I totally will."

May laughed and it was sad, which meant it was probably real. Brendan had said the same thing when _he_ broke up with her, only May had had to beg him not to because that man could probably break him in half with his little finger. "No," she replied. "He doesn't deserve it. I was the one who ruined it, not him."

"Because you couldn't love him?" Brendan asked neutrally.

"Yeah."

"It's probably a real dickhead thing to say 'I told you so', but I did tell you not to date him so soon after the breakup."

May only smiled. "What's done is done. I'm meant to be alone, anyways."

They were silent as they entered the sweet-smelling establishment. They ordered two coffees and an assortment of donuts before sitting down at one of the tables.

"I'm going to Australia," May said suddenly.

Brendan looked up from his donuts and grinned, his mouth full of chocolaty pastry. "Oh, that's good," he said through the food.

"Gross," she said, wrinkling her nose at the sight of partially-chewed chocolate donut. "Close your mouth, you dolt."

Brendan swallowed and gave her a cheeky grin. "Love you too."

May rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, they accepted me into the program. If I give a final confirmation, they'll have me ready to go by June 19th. I have everything sorted out, my visa and everything. I wasn't sure if I was going to go when Steven was around, but…"

"Now there's no one to tie you down," Brendan said with a smirk. "I'm glad you're doing this, May. It's a good choice."

She nodded, taking a sip of her steaming coffee. The bitter flavor kept her mind clear and stopped it from wandering to painful places.

"I'll miss you, though," Brendan said.

"I'll miss you, too. I don't know what I would have done without you all this time." May smiled sadly.

Brendan shrugged her off. "You would've survived. You're strong enough. But my awesomeness definitely helped things."

May swatted at him and laughed. This was…this was good. She could feel that the laughter, the teasing, was real. It was…refreshing, to be able to feel again.

Even if there still was that gaping hole in her chest.

* * *

><p>May sent off her confirmation to the Australian program as soon as she and Brendan returned to her apartment. She had moved from the one she had shared next to <em>him<em> during the summer between her sophomore and junior year, the pain of seeing that door every day overwhelming her. He hadn't lived there anymore and shortly after it was vacated, a friendly couple had moved into it. May had interacted with them a few times, but she missed Kyogre's loud barking in the morning and seeing him after she got off work. They used to have dinner together in his apartment almost every night. In truth, by the end of the relationship May was spending more time in his apartment than in her own and it was almost implicit that it was her home, too.

She left Maxie's Bakery one month before the breakup, having gotten a job at one of the many museums around the university, and May still wondered if that was why things had spiraled downwards. Her hours took time out of what she could spend with _him_ and perhaps that was what had spurred him to go to Shelly—someone who could be there with him as often as she liked, since she worked whatever hours she chose.

There was no use thinking about it, anyway. As she had told Brendan, what was done was done and there was nothing she could do about it.

After sending off the email that would start the new chapter in her life, May went to meet up with her parents, who were flying out later that afternoon with Brendan in tow. She wanted to tell them about her decision face-to-face instead of over the phone. She knew they would be a little worried and her mother might object, but her father knew a good opportunity when he saw one and would be completely supportive of her endeavors.

She exited her home and locked the door behind her, imagining that the door was actually her years at Harvard and she was leaving them behind forever.

The conversation with her parents went down exactly as she had expected it to. By the end of it they were both all-for her idea and then they had to rush off to catch the plane. Brendan had made her promise that she would call when she arrived in Sydney, which May was not adverse to at all.

Now, three weeks later, she was packing the last of her bags and preparing to leave the country within the next forty-eight hours. She couldn't deny that she was a little stressed, the reality of her life-changing decision starting to hit her. She wasn't sure whether she would return to the United States any time soon, but she certainly knew that she wouldn't be coming back to Cambridge, Massachusetts, ever again. She had nothing left here.

She hadn't reapplied to Harvard for her Master's degree, nor did she have the intention to. Even if she didn't get accepted to the school in Australia, she wouldn't be going back to Harvard. Not with all the memories there.

Just as she was zipping up her suitcase, her cellphone began to ring. Frowning, as she wasn't expecting any callers at two in the morning, May stood up and went to retrieve it.

She didn't recognize the number, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to answer. She picked up the smart phone, swiped the screen to accept the call, and then put it to her ear.

"May Andrews speaking."

"May, honey," came a sweet but concerned voice over the phone. "It's been a while."

May froze and her stomach dropped into her gut. Why—why? Why was she calling after everything that had happened? She hadn't heard from that woman since _he_ left for her, so…_why?_ She hadn't gloated, because that wasn't her way, but…_why?_

"Sh-Shelly?" she stammered, her heart racing. She wasn't sure if it was anxiety, anger, or jealousy that was currently destroying her insides, but it made her want to puke.

"Yeah," Shelly replied cheerily. "I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry I haven't contacted you sooner, but since change is in the air, I thought you might want to see a certain someone before he leaves the country."

She was frozen and at the mention of her ex, tears flooded her eyes. "Why would you even bother?" she demanded. "He has you, doesn't he?" A tear spilled over and May quickly wiped it away, taking a deep breath.

"Well, yeah…" Shelly didn't sound like she was bragging, though. She sounded confused. "But I've seen him every day since he ruined his own life, unfortunately for me. He's leaving the country tomorrow and even though you're going your separate ways and all, I thought it might be good for you two to get closure. Unless your boyfriend-"

May was so confused that the only thing she could respond to was, "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh!" Shelly was now excited. "Well, that's great. 'Cause Archie's been a total downer since you two broke up. You should have seen him after your graduation day. He was a mess."

The anger and jealousy was leaving her as confusion took over. "Okay, so I don't think we're on the same page," she said slowly, closing her eyes to keep further tears from escaping. "He said that he was leaving me for you. So I'm not quite sure why you're calling me so that we can get 'closure'. As far as I'm concerned, he's gotten all the closure he needs."

There was silence on the end of the phone line for so long that May thought Shelly had hung up. Then, suddenly, there was a growl of fury.

"He told you _what?_" Shelly demanded.

"He said that-"

"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!" the older woman growled. "Oh, shit, that man is in for an ass-whoopin' he'll never forget."

May's brow furrowed as her heart suddenly felt lighter and pained all at the same time. "So…he didn't leave me for you?" she asked. "So then…he lied?"

"Of course he fucking lied! I wouldn't get between the two of you if someone paid me a million dollars!" Shelly was beside herself with fury, all but shrieking into the phone. "And here he was, all depressed 'cause he left you and boo-hoo 'I can't get over her' and he fucking told you that he left you for _me?_"

May swallowed and wasn't sure what to say anymore. Archie had lied about Shelly when he broke up with her, and apparently hadn't been taking the separation as well as she had assumed he was. So…what else was she missing?

"He said he needed a 'real woman'," May quoted. She wasn't sure if her heart was thundering in her chest so fast she couldn't feel it or if it had stopped altogether.

"That little dipshit," Shelly growled. "And after all I've done for him…" Suddenly, as though a switch had been flipped, Shelly was calm and collected again. "So, apparently stories need to be set straight and I know a man who's going to get the _honor_ of doing so. Archie has a five o'clock flight and he's already on his way, since I was planning on surprising him with you. Minor change in plans, apparently, but how pretty do you think you can get in the next thirty minutes?"

Now May _knew_ her heart was thundering. "I-"

"Unless you don't want to get pretty," Shelly mused. "I wouldn't blame you."

"That doesn't matter," May said, although she was already in her bathroom, brushing her hair fervently. It was a mess, since she hadn't seen a reason to take care of her looks when she wasn't going to see anyone that day. "I want to see him…even if it's just to-to say goodbye. I want the truth, if nothing else."

"Well, apparently there's a lot of truth you're going to be getting," Shelly said. "I'm on my way, so get ready. We have to catch him before he goes through security."

"Okay. You'll need my address. I moved," May said, trying to apply eyeliner with one hand.

"Shoot."

May told her the address and then they quickly hung up. She took deep, calming breaths, trying to cool her elation and simultaneous heartbreak. He was leaving, she was leaving…they were going their separate ways when the entire time there was no reason for them to not have been together.

_Why?_

* * *

><p>Archie wasn't quite too sure how an airport could be pack at <em>three in the fucking morning<em>, especially when all he wanted to do was get on the plane so he didn't change his mind. It was a good idea to get out of here, the city he had called home for the past fourteen years, but leaving May behind somewhat halted his thought processes. Even though they couldn't be together, just knowing that he would be half a world away from her made his insides twist. Still, this was how it had to be. He had already gotten accepted for the job and there was no turning back now, so that was that.

After he finally checked in his luggage—what little of it there was—Shelly was still nowhere in sight and she had promised him that she would be there to say goodbye. Frowning a little, he walked over to a Starbucks at the front of the airport's enormous lobby and took a seat. He wasn't tired, but he planned on sleeping during the flight, so he ordered a plan vanilla rooibos tea. The moment he took a sip he gagged, knowing then and there why he never ordered anything but coffee, but then decided that he would choke it down nonetheless. If nothing else, his nerves needed to be calmed.

He watched the sliding doors for any sign of his friend and begrudgingly sipped on his tea. This was bullshit—he didn't understand why Shelly wouldn't just drive him to the airport herself. It wasn't that he was concerned about being late so much as chickening out. The flight wouldn't leave for another two hours, so he had plenty of time to spare. He just didn't like the feeling of being in limbo for so long.

Finally, a tall, voluptuous woman with black hair and blue streaks in her bangs walked through the door. Finally, Shelly was here. She had someone with her though, someone much shorter with short brown hair, stunning blue eyes, and…

_Oh shit._

Archie choked on his tea with a vengeance.


	3. Part Three

_Hey everyone!_

_I hope you all had a great New Years Eve/Day and Christmas! This is the final chapter of Mending the Heart and I hope you all enjoy it! It was supposed to come out on my birthday, then on New Years Eve, and now it is finally come out...Sorry about the delay! Life happens, I guess._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mending the Heart<span>**

Part Three

"Are you sure about this?" May asked timidly as she walked with Shelly through the front doors. "What if he doesn't want to see me?"

"Since we now know that Archie is a lying piece of shit, even if he says he doesn't want to see you, I call bullshit and you're staying," Shelly replied calmly, flicking a strand of blue over her shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"This is going to be so awkward…" May lamented, wringing her hands. Part of her was excited, but part of her was also seething with hurt and anger. Why would he lie just to leave her? Why would he do that if he still loved her just as much as she loved him? _Why?_

"I'll be there," Shelly assured her. She chuckled. "But expect a lot of swearing. He's going to be surprised as-"

They were interrupted by the sound of someone hacking on liquid. Both pairs of eyes honed in on a large man sitting at a booth at the nearby Starbucks, who was pounding his chest with a large fist and staring at them with the look of a deer in the headlights.

"Well I'll be," Shelly smirked. "There's the bastard himself." She began to approach him.

May, however, was also reflecting the look of a deer in the headlights and was frozen in place. She hadn't seen him in so long…and now here he was.

Tears filled her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. Her hands were trembling and her heart was pounding like a Thoroughbred's hooves on the racetrack. She swallowed hard.

Shelly noticed her young friend's state and turned around. "Hey, hun, don't worry. It'll be fine." She held her hand out to her and May tentatively took it, shaking her head.

They approached Archie, who was now approaching them. May couldn't look into his eyes, so she focused on his chest, which was somehow more muscular than before. He looked stunning in a navy blue V-neck and fitted black jeans. He looked just as good as he had before they broke up, while she had lost weight in her depression and her skin had grown paler due to her shutting herself in.

They finally met up and silence reigned for a long second. May wouldn't look at him, but she could feel Archie's eyes on her.

"So, Shell, got any more surprises up your sleeve before I leave?" Archie grumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Something in May snapped. Here he was, looking so good, so healthy, so completely _composed_ about this whole thing while she was a complete mess over seeing him again. She felt her cheeks flushed and she glared.

"You two have issues to work out," Shelly said casually. "Since you're leaving, I thought it would be best that those issues were resolved before you flew the coop."

"If I had known-"

_Smack!_

May had marched straight up to him and slapped him across the face with all her strength. Archie finally looked her in the eyes and she knew she looked like a mess: eyes watery and red, cheeks flushed, teeth gritted. But she suddenly didn't care.

"Bastard!" she hissed. "That's what you get for lying to me!"

Archie's face now had the perfect impression of a handprint on it. Bewildered, he rubbed his cheek and just looked at her, as if truly seeing her for the first time.

"I missed you," he said, his lips pulling into a small smile.

Tears overflowed and she lunged at him. He took a step back in case she was attacking him, but all she did was latch onto his shirt and start bawling into his chest. Archie looked to Shelly for assistance, but she just shrugged with the attitude of, 'It's your mess, _you_ clean it up.'

After a moment he wrapped his arms around her gently, but as he felt how perfectly her small body still fit against his and remembered just how wonderful it was to hold her, his grip tightened and he embraced her fully. He rested his chin on her head and breathed in her fresh scent like a drug addict who hadn't taken a hit in too long. Two years, to be exact.

May Andrews was his drug, to be sure.

Archie remembered the first time he had held May while she cried; it had been just after her boss had set her up with a drug deal that she had been unaware of. After being tricked into breaking the law, she had come to him for reassurance. He hadn't been as gentle about it as he could have been, which he had felt guilty about for a long time afterwards, but nonetheless it was the first time he had held her while she broke down.

While he had been uncomfortable the first time around and he had started out uncomfortable this time, his body seemed to react to May's proximity accordingly and it was all he could do _not_ to grip her closer to him when she started to pull away. He had to force his shoulders to relax and the urge to pull her back into his body was overwhelming. He managed to keep his instincts at bay, however, and released her successfully.

Shelly watched on with soft eyes as the two lovers reunited, albeit for a heartbreakingly short period of time.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, sir," she reminded Archie while the two just looked at each other, lost in their other half's eyes.

This seemed to break the trance they had been in.

"Yeah, you do," May said, and while she attempted to be threatening, it was only cute when she was doing it with puffy red eyes and mussed up hair.

"Let's, uh, take a seat," Archie said nervously. The look Shelly gave him told him that it was obvious he was just trying to buy time, but when May didn't accuse him of anything, the older woman stayed quiet.

The trio walked over to the table where Archie had previously been sitting and took their seats, May across from Archie and Shelly off to the side. Awkward silence reigned between Archie and May for a brief time before Shelly punched Archie in the shoulder none too gently.

"Hey!" he snapped, rubbing his aching bicep. "What was that for?"

"You told her you left her for me," Shelly bit right back. "That's what that was for."

Archie reddened and averted his eyes. "It seemed like a good idea at the time…"

"You idiot!" the females chorused at the same time. May went on, "You broke my heart and made me hate her and she didn't even do anything! How is that fair?"

"Good question!" Shelly agreed nastily. "Let's hear you answer it!"

Both women glared at him pointedly and Archie broke under the pressure.

"Okay, okay, fine. I was doin' it to protect you! It was a dumbshit move to get Shelly in on it, but it was the only good reason I could find at the time!" Shelly raised her fist again and Archie raised his hands up to defend himself.

However, May interrupted the impending brawl. "What do you mean, to protect me?"

"Maxie," Archie growled, and Shelly lowered her fist. "After whole fiasco when you started working at the bakery, we had a deal. You had to keep working at the bakery so he could try to get into your pants or whatever since I lived right next to you and everybody won. It was supposed to end when you made a choice."

May's jaw dropped at the ridiculousness of the deal that had been made over her and Shelly summarized, "So basically, modern man reverted back to the days of the Neanderthals."

Archie at least had the decency to look sheepish. "Well, we guys get territorial and shit. What can I say?"

"You could learn to behave like adults and-"

"What does this have to do with you breaking up with me for no good reason?" May interrupted somewhat waspishly.

"Well, so the deal ended when you chose me, I guess. The son of a bitch didn't really put up a fuss. But when you got that new job at the museum and left that pansy-ass bakery, he got his panties in a twist and decided it was time for some good, old-fashioned revenge. He had befriended one of the rich twats on the school board and had enough leverage to possibly ruin your scholarship, so you wouldn't have been able to keep going to school at Harvard. He told me about this and said it was either leave you or fuck up your whole life," Archie explained. "I chose the high road."

"You fucking idiot!" May screeched, slamming her palm on the table. A barista glanced over at them with suspicious concern and Shelly waved her off reassuringly. "Why didn't you just _tell me_? We could have figured something out! I could have, I don't know, _talked_ to him or something?"

"I just wanted what was best for you and you didn't need the drama!" Archie was starting to get angry, only able to handle so much abuse in one conversation.

"The 'best for me' was breaking my heart and telling me you left me for a _real _woman?!" May growled right back. "As if that wouldn't give me an inferiority complex for the rest of my life!"

"At least you'd have your fucking degree!"

"I rather have just gone to a different school! I almost failed Chem II that semester because I was so depressed!"

"That's dumb as shit! You shouldn't let me have that much control over your life!"

"You're dumb as shit! It wouldn't have been a problem in the first place if you had just freaking told me what was going on!"

"Yeah, I fucked up! Whatcha gonna do about it? I'm flyin' halfway across the world in less than an hour and a half!"

"You'd better hope I don't follow you just to kick your-"

"Excuse me," a firm voice interrupted. "If you're going to continue being so loud, I'm going to have to ask you to go outside."

Shelly watched on helplessly as a security guard, called over by the barista behind the counter, scolded the two for their behavior. "It won't happen again, officer," Shelly assured him, kicking both Archie and May with her stiletto heels under the table. Archie yelped and the officer looked at him strangely, but nodded and left.

It was quiet for a moment before the elder woman at the table cleared her throat. "Now, children, I think it's time we discussed things like adults."

The silence continued for a while after that, Archie glaring down at the table and May staring dejectedly out the window of the café.

Finally, Archie said quietly, "I'm sorry, babe."

It was all that needed to be said. "It's okay. There's nothing that can be done now." May looked up at him with a sad smile.

"I'll have to get a new phone when I land," Archie said, "but if you have the same number, I'll text you?" He couldn't hide the hopefulness in his voice.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I'd like that."

It was then time for Archie to leave and they embraced again, May starting to cry once more at the feeling of being reunited just to be ripped away again. She couldn't very well cancel her program in Australia and she didn't know where Archie was going, but she wouldn't expect him to bail on whatever he had planned to go with her, so it truly was goodbye all over again.

This time, though, it didn't have to be permanent.

* * *

><p>May had just gotten settled in at the home she was staying in with some other students who had come to study in her program. She had met a nice, exuberant guy named Satoshi from Japan and her host in the small port town where they would be staying was a flirty, slightly older guy named Brock. She liked them well enough, as they would be her roommates, and thought they could get along very nicely.<p>

It was her first day to go out onto the beach and she was happier than she could ever recall being in a very long time. Brendan had heard about her closure with Archie and had listened to her cry on the phone until she fell asleep that night, but had encouraged her to let herself move on now that she finally had the end to the story that she needed. She was feeling that she just might take that advice.

Stepping out onto the pier with Satoshi, her team leader Melissa, and the rest of the program participants, May gazed up at the medium-sized ship they would taking out to sea. It was being manned by sailors hired by the program's hosts and Melissa told them that they should try to get along with the sailors as best they could.

Melissa was talking now and May was struggling to pay attention when she saw a familiar silhouette cross the collapsible bridge over to the dock. Her eyes widened when she took him in and her knees suddenly turned to jelly.

He hadn't noticed her, though, so she went back to attempting to absorb the information being given to her by her team leader. It was all very important stuff, she imagined, but all she could think was _what were the chances that he would be here?_

Finally, they were allowed to board the ship and May kept with the group, although her eyes kept wandering in his direction. He was now unwinding the ropes tying them to the dock with the help of another man who she unsurprisingly did not recognize. He was talking amicably to him, though, so May assumed that he was already making friends. Good thing she was, too.

It felt like forever before the sailors walked over for introductions; by then, they were already speeding out towards the reef.

The moment their eyes met she smiled at him brightly and his jaw dropped in surprise. Nobody noticed the exchange, but the look he gave her told her that they would be speaking soon.

As it turned out, they were very busy throughout their time on the sea and it wasn't until after they had docked towards the end of the day that May was able to approach him. She waited patiently for him to get off work—because she assumed that he was here for work and was actually being paid for this instead of being the one paying for the experience—and told Brock that she would catch up with him and Ash later.

When he approached, there was a question in his eyes. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he asked, but it didn't sound angry at all, just elated.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded excitedly before launching herself into his arms. He caught her easily and gripped her so tightly that she had to pull away in order to breathe. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to be in Australia, too?"

Archie scratched his head. "Well, I didn't want to get our hopes up in case we were on two separate sides of the country."

May nodded, thinking that made sense. "Okay, I won't begrudge you that one."

It was quiet for a moment before Archie cleared his throat. "Well, what do you say? Can I take you to dinner, my treat?"

A blush burned her face. "Are we…are we doing this…again?"

He looked down at her with a gentle smile. "Only if you want to. There's ain't no redheaded bastard to ruin things this time."

She nodded, barely able to make eye contact, and grasped his hand. The sun was setting, highlighting the golden tones in her hair and making his darker skin almost glow in the light. They walked down the dock towards the beach, and May thought that while this wasn't going to be easy after all the damage that had been done, it would certainly be worth it.

No matter what happened, it was a start.

* * *

><p><strong>fin.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>And that, my dears, is a rap! I hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to review!<em>


End file.
